Jaybird Vista 2 Review
Our Verdict
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Jaybird Vista 2 | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | |||
Price | $150 List $149.99 at Amazon | $170 List | $120 List $119.99 at Amazon | $150 List | $120 List |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Sound quality, secure fit, water resistance, very portable, battery life, great in-app EQ | Fantastic sound quality, great battery life | Great price for high performance, good sound quality, portability, charging case | Great sound quality, keeper clip on wire | Complete awareness or surroundings, secure fit, lightweight |
Cons | Noise cancellation only average | Comfort is quite hit or miss, athletic performance also hit or miss | Bulky, uncomfortable for long periods | Some find bulky design awkward and uncomfortable | Expensive, subpar sound quality |
Bottom Line | Our favorite earbuds to recommend combine great sound with a secure fit and impressive battery life to keep up with your lifestyle | Fantastic if they fit well, but very uncomfortable if they don't | A quality, high-scoring product with a price tag that won't break the bank | Great sound in an otherwise average package | A good choice for those that really want to listen to music while leaving their ears uncovered |
Rating Categories | Jaybird Vista 2 | Jabra Elite 75t | Amazon Echo Buds (2... | Bose SoundSport | AfterShokz Air |
Sound Quality (30%) | |||||
Comfort (20%) | |||||
Athletic Performance (20%) | |||||
Battery Life (15%) | |||||
Portability (10%) | |||||
Ease of Use (5%) | |||||
Specs | Jaybird Vista 2 | Jabra Elite 75t | Amazon Echo Buds (2... | Bose SoundSport | AfterShokz Air |
Weight (oz) | 0.47 | 0.4 | 0.47 | 0.82 | 1.06 |
Waterproof Rating | IP68 buds IP54 case |
IP55 | IPX4 | IPX4 | IP55 |
Measured Battery Life (hours) | 9 | 7 | 5 | 6.5 | 7.5 |
Claimed Battery Life (hours) | 8 | 7.5 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
Carrying Case? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Charging Carrying Case? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Wireless Charging Option? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Microphone? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Our Analysis and Test Results
We tested true wireless Bluetooth headphones using six specific metrics. The Jaybird Vista 2's are all-around rock stars. Whereas other Bluetooth earbuds are designed to prioritize one aspect of the earbuds, the Jaybird Vista 2's seem to prioritize excellence in every feature and regard.
Performance Comparison
Sound Quality
The Jaybird Vista 2 offers some of the most exceptional sound quality we tested. During music playback, we were able to hear even minuscule details of sounds very well and clearly. You can even make out the breaths of the vocalist in certain songs. These buds also offer warm, full bass through their default Jaybird "Signature" EQ that can become as big and booming as you care for with EQ adjustment (in the app). We love how this full bass doesn't come at the expense of the high end at all.
The Vista 2 gives you a full and immersive soundscape unfound in most earbuds. When we used these buds to make a phone call, both the caller using the buds and a receiver just using their standard mobile phone reported a very clear call, free of fuzziness or background interference. Be it for music, podcasts, phone calls, meditation apps, or whatever you're listening to through these earbuds, you'll be hard-pressed to find a pair that offers your more consistently excellent sound quality.
Active Noise Cancellation
These buds offer noise-canceling capabilities and "Surround-sense," which is passthrough. Both can be disabled or enabled depending on your preference. These settings work okay, but are definitely one of our few criticisms of these buds, as you can find far better ANC capabilites on most Bose models. There's also a highly customizable EQ functionality that lets you adjust and make preset EQs so you can easily customize the experience of these buds to your liking.
Comfort
While these buds only offer a modest selection of three ear fin sizes, they are specifically designed to fit a wide array of ear shapes and sizes. All of our testers agreed that these buds fit consistently fit in their ears the best when compared to other models that utilize ear fins. These earbuds felt comfortable and secure even when worn for extended periods by people with extremely sensitive ears. If comfort is one of your biggest concerns when buying earbuds, we comfortably suggest that it quickly becomes no concern with the Vista 2. When paired with the feature of their substantial battery life, these earbuds can handle the job of a full day of use with ease.
Athletic Performance
The Jaybird Vista 2 true wireless Bluetooth earbuds were our absolute top scorers through all of our athletic performance tests. They easily aced our movement stability tests. The ear fins tuck into your external ear cartilage but are flexible enough to not cause pain or fatigue for the wearer. The buds fit into our testers' wide variety of ear shapes and sizes extremely securely and created secure and comfortable seals. No matter the impact level of your exercise, you can be confident that the Jaybird Vista 2 Bluetooth earbuds will provide you a secure, comfortable, and long-lasting fit.
Unlike most of the other Bluetooth earbuds that we tested; these buds boasted genuinely impressive water resistance scores. The buds themselves are rated IP68 (the highest on the spectrum), and delightfully, the charging case is also water-resistant with a rating of IP54. These buds offer a secure and comfortable fit through an extensive variety of high-intensity physical activity. Just about everybody in our office who witnessed these tests expressed an interest in purchasing the earbuds.
Battery Life
The Jaybird Vista 2's advertise a desirable 8 hours of continuous playback on a full charge. When we tested this claim by charging the buds and having them play music until they died, we were blown away by how the buds continued playing for an entire extra hour (9 hours total) over what was advertised. Whether you're looking at a full day of travel, work, or play, you can be confident that these buds will be able to carry you through whatever tasks you may have in store without needing another charge.
The charging case provides multiple recharges of the earbuds before it needs to be plugged back into an outlet, too.
Portability
As these buds are rated highest on the IP waterproofing scale, you can rest assured that these buds are ready to go where you need them to go. Weighing in at less than half an ounce (0.47 ounces), these buds are incredibly lightweight. They come with a protective charging case that is a bit larger than an Airpods case but is still incredibly small and pocketable. Conveniently, the charging case also comes with a small removable lanyard, so it can be attached to a belt loop or key chain if desired. It also helps to locate your earbuds packed into a bag more easily without adding bulk or weight.
Ease of Use
The Jaybird Vista 2 earbuds score highly in our ease of use metric first by nature of its excellent user interface. These buds have actual buttons that give you tactile feedback so you know that your requests upon your buds have not gone unheard. They are also receptive enough so that you can get that tactile feedback without needing to press too uncomfortably hard; you don't need to jam your buds into your ears just to press a button. While the commands for pause/play and navigation are concise and intuitive, they are also customizable through Jaybird's audio app. Overall, these buds are reliably easy to use and it's nice to have simple EQ customizations available through the app.
Value
While it would track that our favorite all-around earbuds would be one of the more costly Bluetooth wireless earbuds, they're actually fairly middle-of-the-pack in terms of price. This is not to say the earbuds don't demand a hearty investment— they do. But many inferior buds cost plenty more. It is our opinion that the quality and features of these buds are well worth the price tag. If you're looking for exceptional performance above budget concerns, the Jaybird Vista 2's are a value well worth the investment.
Conclusion
The Jaybird Vista 2's are rated so highly among top-tier workout headphones as well as the best running headphones review for a reason. They offer all-around exceptional quality for an ultimately reasonable value. You are not going to be disappointed with these buds.
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